Master of ceremonies was Education colleague and longtime friend Gerry Jorgenson, who alternately roasted the guest of honor ("Bev has the hook ready in case Jerry goes on too long") and introduced the guest speakers.

Academic Vice President David LaGuardia acknowledged Jerry's impact on students and colleagues but also noted, "Jerry has brought to this place some extremely important and outstanding people, important scholars and important alumni." Athletic Director Tony DeCarlo recalled coming to John Carroll in 1964, sitting in Jerry's office, and realizing he had made the right decision. "Jerry coached from the heart," DeCarlo said. "He had a passion for the game." And then he laughed, "In fact Jerry could be downright obnoxious on game day." Kathleen Manning, founder of the women's athletic program at Carroll, praised her former boss and also thanked Bev Schweickert "for sharing this man with all of us."

Then it was Jerry's turn. Reflecting on an "interesting 42 years," Schweickert told how he almost didn't return after his freshman year, how he had a different roommate all four years, (including Frank Dempsey who was present in the audience), how he went on to earn master's and doctoral degrees at Akron University (after "telling off" one of the six presidents and two acting presidents he served under, it was suggested that he take a "hiatus"), how he was miscast as athletic director ("I'm not an administrator"), and how he came to be the assistant to then woman's volleyball coach Manning ("she was working on her PhD, so I hired a guy who mostly knew about beach volleyball ... when one player after another began deserting the team, Kathleen insisted on returning, so I insisted on being her assistant ... we had some tremendous arguments on the bench"), how he finds it remarkable that three former head football coaches (DeCarlo, Don Stupica and himself) can be on the same campus and still be on speaking terms ("football coaches can be knuckleheads").